


clasped tight before a long journey

by fangirl_squee



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, spoilers for up to SiH31
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 03:53:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19076944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl_squee/pseuds/fangirl_squee
Summary: Hella and Adaire share a quiet moment before their next mission.





	clasped tight before a long journey

**Author's Note:**

> big shoutout to hella and adaire's new bonds for this one!!! They are Romance Bonds.

Adaire smoothed out her dress, steadfastly not looking at the clock on the mantle as she waited. The blue fabric was plainer than her usual, with only some small silver thread forming a pattern around the hem, but the fabric was nicer, the colour of a clear summer sky. It looked nice on her, she thought. Pretty without trying too hard about it. She was glad that the weather had finally warmed enough that she could wear it.  


 

A knock at the door drew her attention away from her reflection.

 

“Punctual,” Adaire murmured to herself as she pulled on her gloves, “how like a knight.”

 

She let out a breath, squared her shoulders, and opened the door.

 

It was Hella, of course, just as expected. She was wearing what Adaire knew to be her best tunic under her usual jacket, her hair still a little damp from bathing. Her cheeks looked flushed under the lantern light, just as they’d looked that afternoon, when she’d fumblingly asked Adaire to dinner. Adaire smiled.

 

"Wow," said Hella, "you look- uh, I mean. Hey, hi."

 

"Hi," said Adaire, enjoying the deepening flush on Hella's cheeks. "You ready to go?"

 

"Yeah," said Hella, faintly.

 

Hella didn’t move from the doorway. Adaire considered her for a moment, thinking. Opportunities for privacy were rare, especially on the road,  _ especially _ traveling with such a large group as they would be. And Hella didn’t look particularly hungry.

 

"Unless you'd rather… "

 

Hella blinked, startled. "What, no, Adaire, I absolutely want to go to dinner with you-"

 

"I wasn't suggesting we call it off entirely," said Adaire, "but, being the last night before we have to go fight a dragon and save the world, I was thinking that perhaps we could stay in."

 

Hella frowned. "Stay in?"

 

Adaire put a gloved hand deliberately on Hella's arm. "Yes. Stay in."

 

Hella's eyes widened, her cheeks deepening into red. "Oh. I'm. Yeah, that sounds- I'd like that."

 

"So would I."

 

Adaire tugged slightly on the fabric of Hella’s jacket, pulling her forward into the room and keeping her hand on Hella’s arm as she locked the door behind them. Keeping Hella close made it much easier to step closer towards her, bringing their bodies together. Hella inhaled sharply.

 

Adaire paused. “Hella, I… we don’t have to-”

 

Hella’s hands went to Adaire’s waist, stopping her from moving away. “No, I want to Adaire, I-”

 

Hella ducked down to kiss her, hesitant at first but deepening the kiss as Adaire leaned into her. Adaire let her hand trail up Hella’s side, running along the length of Hella’s neck before she tangled her fingers in Hella’s short hair. Hella ran her hands up and down Adaire’s back, her fingers catching on the line of small buttons that held the dress closed.

 

Hella leaned her forehead against Adaire’s as they pulled back for breath.

 

“I want to, Adaire,” said Hella softly. “If tonight is the only chance I get, then-”

 

Adaire leant back. Her chest felt tight. “Don’t say that.”

 

Hella pressed her lips together. “I just- I wanted you to know that I… I want this, Adaire. I want  _ you _ .”

 

Adaire reached up, cupping Hella’s cheek in her hand, her breath catching in her throat as Hella’s eyes fluttered closed.

 

“You have me-” said Adaire.

 

Hella smiled. “As much as anyone can, I know.”

 

“No,” said Adaire, before she could think better of it. “ _ You have me _ .”

 

Hella went still under her hands, swallowing hard. Adaire leaned forward, resting her head on Hella’s chest so she wouldn’t have to meet Hella’s eyes.

 

“I- Okay,” said Hella, her voice rough.

 

Adaire looked up. She tried to focus on the little details of Hella’ face, committing every freckle and small scar to memory.

 

“Okay,” she said, leaning up again to capture Hella’s lips.

 

She kept Hella pulled close to her, losing herself momentarily in the feeling of Hella’s muscles moving under her hands, the small sounds she could coax from Hella. She felt Hella’s hands go to the buttons on the back of her dress.

 

Hella leaned back slightly. “Is this alright?”

 

“Yes,” said Adaire, her own hands going to the front of Hella’s jacket. “Is this alright?”

 

Hella grinned. “Absolutely.”

 

Adaire smiled, unbuttoning Hella’s coat and pushing it off her shoulders. Hella’s hands went again to the line of buttons that ran down Adaire’s back, fiddling with them.

 

Hella made a sound of frustration against Adaire’s lips.

 

Adaire huffed a laugh. "Alright back there?"

 

Hella grunted. "I'm fine, it's just-"

 

Adaire looked over her shoulder. "I can-"

 

"I know how to work women's clothing Adaire!"

 

"I didn't say you couldn't," said Adaire,”but it does seem as though you could use a little help.”

 

“I don’t need  _ help _ ,” said Hella, “I can-”

 

There was the sudden feeling of cool air at Adaire’s back, followed by the unmistakable sound of buttons hitting the floor.

 

“Uh.”

 

"You  _ will  _ be sewing those back on," said Adaire.

 

"Yes, absolutely, I-"

 

Adaire pulled Hella back down into a kiss, roughly stripping the dress off her shoulders so she could move more easily, guiding Hella towards the bed. She pushed Hella to sit down, moving to straddle her.

 

Hella ran her hands up Adaire’s sides tentatively, her hands sliding to cup Adaire’s breasts. Adaire sighed, leaning into her touch, her eyes slipping shut and Hella’s thumbs teased her nipples through the fabric of her slip.

 

“Adaire,” said Hella, “You’re so… you’re beautiful.”

 

“Thank you,” said Adaire without opening her eyes, “I know blue’s my colour.”

 

“It’s not the colour,” said Hella, “it’s  _ you _ .”

 

Really, there was nothing that could be said to something like that or, at least, there were no words that Adaire to grasp to properly do so, so Adaire kissed her instead. Her gloved fingers slipped a little on Hella’s shirt buttons and she felt Hella smile.

 

Adaire leant back. “I don’t know why  _ you  _ have such tiny buttons, since you obviously have such trouble with them.”

 

Hella’s hands went to her own shirt buttons, undoing them easily. “I don’t have trouble with them.”

 

Adaire huffed a breath. “It’s just difficult to do with gloves, that’s all.”

 

“You could take them off.”

 

Adaire froze.

 

“I, um.” Hella swallowed. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to, it was just a joke. A stupid joke.”

 

“No, I-” Adaire laughed softly. “You already know all my secrets that matter.”

 

She pulled off the gloves, dropping them beside their feet, her eyes lingering on the old scars and marks that dotted her skin. Hella covered Adaire’s hands with her own.

 

Hella squeezed her hands. “Hey.”

 

Adaire looked up, pressing her lips together. Hella lifted Adaire’s hand to her lips, kissing over each scar in turn. Her touch was feather light but Adaire felt each kiss sink deep into her, taking her breath away.

 

Hella moved up her arms, sucking bruises across Adaire’s neck, along her jaw, before capturing her lips again. Adaire gasped, gathering a presence of mind enough to push at Hella’s shoulders until they were lying flat on the bed.

 

She ground her hips down onto Hella’s, enjoying Hella’s small, sharp gasps, the way Hella’s hands clutched at the fabric of her slip.

 

“Gods, Adaire-  _ Adaire _ -”

 

Adaire gasped as Hella gripped her lips, pulling her up the bed until her knees were either side of Hella’s head, one hand steady on Adaire’s hip and the other teasing over her, pushing her underthings aside so the Hella could put her mouth on her.

 

Adaire bit her lip to stifle a groan, her hands gripping the bedhead as she ground down on Hella’s mouth. She took a steadying breath, meaning to pull herself back a little, but Hella’s strong grip on her side keeping her in place, her lips and tongue unrelenting until Adaire was shuddering and crying out.

 

She kept a hand of Adaire’s hip, easing her back down onto the bed. Adaire caught the open sides of Hella’s shirt, tugging her forward into a clumsy kiss, tasting herself on Hella’s lips.

 

Adaire ran her hand down Hella’s chest, smiling at Hella’s small gasp as she got to the sensitive skin at her waist before she unfastened her pants and slipped a hand inside. Hella moaned, breaking away from their kiss, her forehead dropping to rest on Adaire’s collarbone. Adaire kissed the top of her head sweetly, making a please humming noise as she touched Hella through her undergarments.

 

“Soaked through…” murmured Adaire.

 

Hella whined, her hips arching up towards Adaire’s touch. “ _ Please _ \- Adaire- I-”

 

Adaire shushed her, leaning down to capture Hella’s lips as she pushed aside Hella’s underwear, easily sliding a finger inside her. Hella moaned into the kiss, clutching weakly at the blankets underneath them.

 

It was easy enough to work Hella up to two fingers, crooking them as she brushed Hella’s clit, enjoying the way Hella’s eyes fluttered closed each time, whining on each exhale.

 

“ _ Please _ ,” said Hella, “I’m- I- Adaire,  _ please _ -”

 

Adaire kissed her, hand working until she felt Hella tip over the edge, clenching around her fingers. She wiped her hand delicately on the blanket before Hella caught her hand, tangling their fingers together and pulling her close. Adaire let herself relax, just for a moment, in Hella’s embrace, before wriggling out of the rest of her dress.

 

“Sorry again,” said Hella, “about the buttons.”

 

Adaire hummed. “You’ll make it up to me, I’m sure.”

 

Hella grinned. “Thought I just did.”

 

Adaire huffed a laugh, settling back down into Hella’s arms. “I suppose I can let it go, just this once. But be more careful, next time.”

 

She felt Hella still for a moment under her, and then Hella’s arms tightened around her.

 

“Okay, sure,” said Hella, “Next time, I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi: mariusperkins on most places


End file.
